Three Ways to Stimulate Language Development in Children
Language training and development
Children develop language at a very rapid rate from birth to age five. Studies have even suggested that children have been learning language from conception, while developing in their mother’s womb. The sensory and brain mechanisms for hearing develop at 30 weeks of gestation. The new study shows that unborn babies listen to their mothers speak during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy and at birth can demonstrate what they have heard. In fact, scientists have found that babies as young as a few hours old can tell the difference between the sounds of their native language and those of a foreign language.
Other critical periods remain for speech and language development in infants and toddlers, when the brain is best able to absorb language. In the first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, the acquisition of speech and language skills is most intense. If this critical period is allowed to pass without exposure to language, it will be more difficult to learn. These skills are best developed in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and constant exposure to the speech and language of others. Language and communication skills are essential, as good communication makes them better able to participate in socialization. Eventually it becomes more important for them to learn from their environment and from formal classroom instruction.
Language is the words your child understands and uses. It is also how your child uses these words. Includes spoken and written forms. Speech is the ability to produce the sounds that make up words.
In my years of teaching young children, especially children with special education needs; I have adhered to three simple techniques that helped a lot. And it is very simple. All you need to do is TALK to the children. What becomes more crucial is HOW we speak to them.
Three Ways to Stimulate Children’s Speech and Language Development
1. InfoTalk or informative talk
Using InfoTalk (also known as: Parallel Talk) is the most basic. This is a technique in which we, the parents, guardians or caregivers, describe what the child is doing or seeing. At Info Talk, we act like a radio host or a master of ceremonies. We observe the child’s action and describe it. We do not expect an answer. We do not ask the child any questions. We speak to inform. We talk to provide the child with information about what she is doing or what she is seeing.
We do InfoTalk with actions to specify the action or the objects. We can point to it or represent it as we speak. We put emphasis on nouns and verbs.
Often, we will need to sound like a broken recording, where we will have to repeat what we are saying. And it’s better to do it that way.
InfoTalk example:
If a child is coloring a picture in his book,
INFOTALK: “Oh, you of colors the hat red.(pointing to the RED crayon and HAT in the picture)
You can also point to the head to indicate that the hat is something he/she wears on his/her head.
He or she was crying after scraping their knee,
INFOTALK says, “That really hurts (knee brushes). You’re crying because falling in you knee it makes you feel hurt.“
You gave the word of what he/she is doing – crying; you agreed with him/her reaching the action of – falling; and you gave the name of her emotion-her pain.
2.EchoTalk
Echo Talk or Repetition is when we simply imitate what the child or children are saying. We put emphasis on correcting your articulation more than your structure.
EchoTalk Examples
The boy said, “I want to watch Dowa: The Expowew now.”
ECHO TALK says: “Do you want to see DoRto: the experienceLohRER now.”
The boy said, “Let’s play Tikoy-tikoy.”
ECHO TALK says: “Let’s play TiCKLE-yourCCLE.“
3. Imitation-expansion modeling
Imitation-Expansion Modeling is when we mainly imitate what the child(ren) says as an adult will say. We can add a word or two to what our children say. Basically, we echo their words to them and complete them for them. Our approach is to listen to what the children are trying to tell us. What do they mean? Regardless, children love to hear their own words repeated.
Imitation-expansion modeling example
The boy says “Up”:
IMITATION-EXPANSION MODELING says: “do you want to go up.”
It can also be, “Do you want me to go up?”
The boy says “Mine!”
IMITATION-EXPANSION MODELING says: You mean; “It’s mine. (Yes, It’s yours.)
development differences
The stages of language development are universal among humans. However, the age and rate at which a child reaches each milestone of language development varies greatly among children. Development is a personal thing. Don’t rush your child or get anxious. If you think that the delay is a big discrepancy, you can always consult specialists who will be happy to help you.